The Answer My Friend is Blowing in the Wind

We see this news every year, this city has flooded, that city has fallen from its glory, life has come to a halt...Why wait another year? We all must do whatever we can. Be it participating in a clean-up drive, writing, creating awareness, or inventing so that our cities don't feel that they are orphans! Let's join hands and ponder upon what we can do.

THE ANSWERS on how to prevent such flooding events are straightforward, reiterated again and again by the intelligentsia... let us have a look at some of them -

Reimagine, Redefine

Reimagining the meaning and definition of DEVELOPMENT (personal, societal, and city level), SUCCESS, LUXURY, and HAPPINESS... This can be different for different people, can we be more accommodating? Let's start with that!

Wetlands Are The Kidneys of The Earth

Wetland restoration. Boldly protecting the remaining vegetation and urban biodiversity is the need of the hour.

Are we ready for little sacrifices so that we leave some room for future generations to thrive?

Clean up, Before the Doom

Cleaning of sewage drains before the arrival of monsoon so that clogging (due to waste disposal, plastic) is removed.

Construction of embankments (and keeping a watch)around rivers. And following the guidelines put up to preserve the flood plains are a must.

We Cannot Go Ahead Without Planning

Systematic urban planning, taking a cue from national and international best practices.

Example - The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has identified sensitive areas that are most prone to urban flooding. The district administration is pushing for several measures to improve water management including stringent building bylaws.

Citizen's Cooperation is Sine Qua Non

Citizen initiatives can transform landscapes. And when citizens come together for a progressive cause, (say, for example, to restore and clean lakes or dumping sites) the administration has no option left but to cooperate.

It's time for, us, citizens to care for the well-being of the city in a similar way we care for our families and home.

Take a look at this amazing example- Salem Citizen's Forum played a major role in the revival of a British-era?reservoir called Mookaneri Lake, Tamil Nadu. (Down To Earth- Youtube)

Those Micro-Steps

Going one step ahead and setting up WARD LEVEL- Disaster Management and Planning Cells, along with District Disaster Management is the need of the hour.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is already considering a proposal to set up ward-level disaster management cells.

We Cannot Ignore Infrastructure!

Business as usual is not going to serve us, increasing the resilience of communities and adaptive capacity, especially of our INFRASTRUCTURE against the CLIMATE CHANGE is the only option left with us now.

I am water, soft enough to offer life and tough enough to drown it away - rupi kaur

Giving Teeth to Local Bodies

Giving more power to local bodies and holding regular elections is important.

The Municipal Corporation is tasked with the development work, drainage, sanitation work, planning, and even disaster management work.?Local governance is important because these representatives know the ground realities better than someone sitting at the top.

Creating Better Opportunities at Every Level

And most of all, I think, giving better options, employment opportunities, and dignity to the people and their work across the country, including small towns and villages, so that they don't have to forcefully migrate to cities and live on the brink of poverty.

. . .

Yes, and how many times can a man turn his head, and pretend that he just doesn't see?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind

The answer is blowin' in the wind